Belt conveyor and magnetic training means



April 20, 1965 A. F. KAIN 3,179,240

BELT CONVEYOR AND MAGNETIC TRAINING MEANS Original Filed-Feb. 19. 1962INVENTOR. ARTHUR F. KAI'N United States Patent ce 2 (Zlaims. {CL 1%202)This is a division of my now abandoned application entitled TrainingMethods and Means, Serial No. 174,145, filed February 19, 1962, and isfiled in response to a requirement for restriction thereof.

This invention relates to methods of and means for magnetically trainingmoving elements in predetermined patterns of travel. While many aspectsof the present inventive concept, and certain structural embodimentsthereof, as here illustrated and described, may be generally applicablein guiding a wide variety of elements in a predetermined path of travel,the invention in one preferred application, here chosen as a specificillustration of the concept, is used in the training of troughed or flatconveyor belts as used in the transportation of loose aggregate, bulk orpackaged material,

In many conveyor systems, and particularly those of extended conveyingflights and where such flights are supported to form a catenary, it haslong since been common practice to provide training guides, spools orrollers at the edges of the conveyor belt and in suitably spacedrelation to maintain the belt in a straight flight or even in someinstances, to impose deviations from a straight flight for specificpurposes. In some instances such belt contacting guides or rollers maybe used to impose the desired troughing of the belt. The use of suchdevices which frictionally engage the belt as it moves in its path oftravel obviously produces wear, deterioration, and damage to edges ofthe belt which in the course of time must be repaired or replaced.

In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, a conveyor belt isprovided with an internal central longitudinal flat strip of magneticresponsive material, such as steel or iron. The strip of course isflexible. Below the material carrying upper flight of the belt there isarranged a magnetic flux producing fixed element such as permanent orelectro magnets. Such magnets are preferably of substantially the samewidth as the magnetically responsive strip of the belt. By thearrangement of the magnets in the preferred path of travel of the belt,magnetic flux passes from the magnets through the magnetic conductor ofthe upper belt, thus its flight will be restrained to travel in thepredetermined path determined by the positions of the magnets. Aspresently conceived, elongate magnetic fields will be induced by magnetbars arranged between the conventional training rollers for the upperbelt flight. Similar magnets are also to be arranged between theconveying flight and the return flight adjacent the return flight totrain such return flight in the manner stated. Where such conveyor andreturn flights are closely spaced, a single series of magnets mayperform training effects on both flights.

In another form of the invention individual particulate magneticmaterial is used in place of the strip referred to above, such as ironfilings or iron powder or the like, to constitute a preferablycontinuous central band or strip Middle l ateuted Apr. 20, i965responsive to a magnet located as described. In still another form ofthe invention a magnetic Wheel is located between the conveyor flightsand with opposite outer peripheries in contact with the oppositeflights. The peripheral speed of the wheel is equal to the lineal speedof travel of the belt flights and hence though direct contact of magnetand wheel is established friction, if any, will be negligible.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that it is among the primary objectsof the present invention to provide a novel and improved means for thetraining of moving members, particularly such as conveyor belts, torestrain such belts to a predetermined path of travel. Morespecifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide atraining means devoid of any objectionable frictional contact with thebelt and hence to obviate deterioration through frictional contact ofthe training member with the moving belt. It is a further object of theinvention to carry out the foregoing object by the use of magneticresponsive means by a restraining influence applied to the belt formaintaining a predetermined path of travel without physical contact withany other training devices. In the present illustrative presentation ofone application of the invention, it is an object to provide a trainingmeans for conveyor belts operable through the magnetic reaction of meanscarried by the belt and stationary means in the desired path of travel,whereby the magnetic responses will maintain the belt in a predeterminedpath of travel as determined by the stationary magnetic responsiveelements. Numerous other objects, features and advantages of the presentinventive concept will be apparent from a consideration of the followingspecification, talten in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG, 1 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a section through thebelt to illustrate the magnetically responsive solid metal strip and onepreferred embodiment of its incorporation in a belt,

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view showing a section of a belt utilizing amagnetically responsive strip of iron filings, and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a conveyor belt ar rangement wheretraining is provided by a magnetic wheel and/or fixed magnets.

Throughout the present specification and claims the term magneticallyresponsive has been used to indicate elements combining to produce oneor more partially closed fields of closed magnetic flux whereby magneticinfluence is exerted to restrain a moving object containing one of saidmagnetically responsive means in a path of travel determined by thecompanion magnetically responsive means. it will be understood, ofcourse, that in the practice of the invention, either the fixed ormoving magnetically responsive means may be the magnet ing means beingin the movable element while the fixed elements is the inert fluxconductor member or members. Also, the type arrangement, size andconfiguration of either the moving or fixed magnetic responsive meansmay be widely varied to meet the various conditions with respect towhich the invention is applied. Of course, it will be understood thatthe invention is in no way limited to the specific illustrativestructural details, arrangements or types of electro responsive meansand their suggested method of inclusion or attachment to either themoving member or the fixed element.

Referring now more particularly to FIGURE 2 of the drawings, a conveyorbelt is shown including a transversely central thin flat strip offlexible ferrous material 16. It will be understood that such belts arecontinuous belts, the upper flight constituting the material conveyingsurface, or trough, while the lower flight is a return flight usuallyflat. In this form of the invention the ferrous magnetic flux conductingstrip It is a continuous strip throughout the continuous length of thebelt. As in conventional practice, the belt is here shown as formed ofsuccessive cord or fabric plies Ill spaced by intermediate frictionrubber, indicated at 12, vulcanized between the plies and forming arelatively thick wear resistant upper load supporting surface 13. Thelower pulley and roller contacting surface 14 is substantially thinnercan the thick upper rubber surface 13 and hence though the strip Ill islocated in the plane of the central fabric ply, which is cut away at thecenter of the belt to receive the strip, the strip is located nearer theinner face of the belt to enhance its magnetic flux conducting capacitywith respect to a r magnet.

(Not shown in FIGURE'Z but indicated at 22 and 23 in FIGURE 3.)

With respect to the construction of the belt carcass here presented byway of illustration, it will be understood that the invention is in noway limited or confined to such construction. The essence of theinvention in-so-far as the belt is concerned, lies in the provision ofmagnetically responsive means associated with and traveling with a beltregardless of Whether it be embedded between fabric and rubber plies asshown in FIGURE 2, or otherwise attached and secured in magnetic fluxconducting relation to fixed magnetic means located in a predetermineddesired path of travel of the belt. While FIGURE 1 discloses a singlecentral band 10, plural spaced strips responsive to plural spacedmagnets may be employed and in certain instances the magnets may belocated otherwise than in directly below the inner face of the belt.

As indicated in FIGURE 2, there may be substituted for the integralferrous band Ill, particulate ferrous material such as iron filing I5 orgranular flux conducting material of a like magnetic nature. As hereshown, the particulate magnetic responsive material is located in themanner of the band It), longitudinally and transversely centrally of thebelt. However, the invention is not so limited, such flux conductingmaterial may be otherwise dispensed throughout the belt carcass or maybe adhesively secured to the belt surface.

In FIGURE 3 there is disclosed two types of magnet arrangements forbelts having incorporated therewith ma gnetically responsive means, asfor instance the belts of FIGURES 1 or 2. At the left there is shown arotatable magnetic wheel 16 rotatable on its axis 17. The rim of thewheel 16 may enclose a stationary magnet with vertical poles or may beformed from arcuate magnetic segments. The use of a plurality of suchwheels between extended flights of belts is contemplated. The wheel 16is preferably of such diameter and is so located that its upper surfacecontacts the central lower surface of the carrying flight 13 of theconveyor. Frictional engagement of such top surface of the wheel 16 withthe belt flight 13 as its moves to the right, as indicated by thearrows, will induce a clockwise rotation of the wheel, as indicated byits arrow. Since movement of the belt induces rotation of the wheel thesurface speed of the wheels rotation will equal the lineal speed of thebelt and hence wear and friction between belt and wheel will benegligible. The lower surface of the wheel similarly contacts the uppersurface of the return flight 19, whereby a like turning movement isprovided for the lower surface of the wheel and in like manner frictionis negligible. As in conventional manner a troughing roller, indicatedat Ed, is provided for the upper material conveying flight It; and atraining roller 2-1 is provided for contact with the outer face of thereturn flight 19 to maintain contact of such return flight with thelower surface of the wheel 16.

To the right of the troughing roller 2d of FIGURE 3 there is shown anupper and lower pair of bar magnets 22 and 2-3 respectively. Such barmagnets, as is the wheel 16, are located in such manner as to define thepath of travel of the belt and preventing belt deflection under theinfluence of load irregularities or maladjustment of training rollers,idlers, return rollers, or the like. For use with belts, as shown inFIGURES l and 2 the magnets are of course located centrally of thepreferred path of travel and set up a magnetic flux passing through theflux conducting strip to attract the belt, precluding its departure fromthe predetermined path established by the magnets. In practice the barmagnets 22 and 23 may be several feet in length and located betweensuccessive troughing rollers 26', and in some instances extending thefull distance between such rollers. To insure maximum e ficiency of themagnets they may preferably contact the inner faces of the belt flightsand in such case a Teflon or the like surface on the conducting face ofthe magnets may be used to provide substantially frictionless contact.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention providesnovel and improved effective, efficient and economical means and methodfor constraining a moving object to movement in a predetermined pattern.The inventive concept is particularly adapted for the training andguidance of conveyor belts without requiring wear inducing physicalcontact thereof with guide rollers or the like. In its presentembodiment the invention provides a novel conveyor belt with an enclosedmagnetic responsive means in the form of a strip of magnetic fluxconducting material responsive to relatively fixed magnetic means suchas elongated magnets locatedadjacent the inner faces of the belt flightor a rotary magnet the surface of which preferably moves at the samespeed as the lineal speed of the inner faces of the flight with which itcontacts to induce its rotation. It will, of course be understood thatthe inv ntion is in no way limited nor confined to the specific beltstructure here illustrated, nor to the type or location of the magneticresponsive means of the belt or of the magnet. Thus in the practice ofthe invention numerous changes, modifications, and the full use ofequivalents may be resorted to without departure from the spirit orscope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A conveyor comprising an elongated, continuous conveyor belt ofappreciable thickness, means for supporting the belt in its travel, saidbelt being unconfined along its side edges allowing for a tendency toshift laterally unless controlled, said belt being of fabric and rubberplies, being of substantial width and having incorporated therein,centrally of its width, a longitudinally extending flexible strip ofmagnetically responsive material of substantially less width than thatof the belt, a magnet means of a narrow width comparable to that of theflexible strip fixedly supported independently of the belt in a positioncentrally and closely below the under surface of the belt in alignmentwith the path of the strip of magnetically responsive material, whereby,during travel of the belt, said strip will be constrained to travel inpredetermined relation to the magnet means through its magnetic field,thereby resisting forces tending to cause the belt to deviate from afixed path of travel.

2. A conveyor comprising an elongated, continuous con-' veyor belt ofappreciable thickness, means for supporting the belt in its travel, saidbelt being unconfined along its side edges allowing for a tendency toshift laterally un less controlled, said belt being of fabric and rubberplies, being of substantial width and having incorporated therein,centrally of its Width, a longitudinally extending flexible strip ofmagnetically responsive material of substantially less width than thatof the belt, a magnetic supporting Wheel held in fixed position torotate on an axis extending at right angles to the longitudinaldimension of the belt, said wheel having a narrow magnetic tread of awidth comparable to the width of the narrow strip 10 of magneticallyresponsive material, the periphery of the wheel being in central,supporting relation to the belt and aligned symmetrically with saidstrip, whereby, during travel of the belt, said strip will beconstrained to travel in predetermined relation to the magnetic wheelthrough its magnetic field, thereby resisting forces tending to causethe belt to deviate from a fixed path of travel.

References (Tit ed by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS DON A. WAITE,Primary Examiner.

1. A CONVEYOR COMPRISING AN ELONGATED, CONTINUOUS CONVEYOR BELT OFAPPRECIABLE THICKNESS, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE BELT IN ITS TRAVEL, SAIDBELT BEING UNCONFINED ALONG ITS SIDE EDGES ALLOWING FOR A TENDENCY TOSHIFT LATERALLY UNLESS CONTROLLED, SAID BELT BEING OF FABRIC AND RUBBERPILES, BEING OF SUBSTANTIALLY WIDTH AND HAVING INCORPORATED THEREIN,CENTRALLY OF ITS WIDTH, A LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING FLEXIBLE STRIP OFMAGNETICALLY RESPONSIVE MATERIAL OF SUBSTANTIALLY LESS WIDTH THAN THATOF THE BELT, A MAGNET MEANS OF A NARROW WIDTH COMPARABLE TO THAT OF THEFLEXIBLE STRIP FIXEDLY SUPPORTED INDEPENDENTLY OF THE BELT IN A POSITIONCENTRALLY AND CLOSELY BELOW THE UNDER SURFACE OF THE BELT IN ALIGNMENTWITH THE PATH OF THE STRIP OF MAGNETICALLY RESPONSIVE MATERIAL, WHEREBY,DURING TRAVEL OF THE BELT, SAID STRIP WILL BE CONSTRAINED TO TRAVEL INPREDETERMINED RELATION TO THE MAGNET MEANS THROUGH ITS MAGNETIC FIELD,THEREBY RESISTING FORCES TENDING TO CAUSE THE BELT TO DEVIATE FROM AFIXED PATH OF TRAVEL.